IN BRIEF
The American framebuilder has unveiled the Firefly All Road Rim Brake, a custom titanium bike that keeps rim brakes while accepting 700 x 40 mm tyres. To get there, it designed a new titanium fork with a 3D-printed crown and worked with Cane Creek to modify the eeBrake callipers designed for Brompton. The bike accepts SRAM AXS, Shimano Di2 and mechanical Campagnolo groupsets. Firefly lists it at $7,200 for the frame with its fork, and from $10,000 to over $14,000 built up.
| Price (Firefly website, in dollars) | $7,200 for the frame with matching titanium fork; $10,000 to $14,000 and up as a complete bike |
| Frame | titanium, fully custom geometry and tube selection |
| Fork | All Road titanium, 3D-printed crown, custom offset |
| Brakes | Cane Creek eeBrake rim callipers modified for standard cable pull |
| Tyre clearance | 700 x 40 mm |
| Drivetrain | SRAM AXS (Growtac Control levers), Shimano Di2, mechanical Campagnolo |
| Options | oversized chainstays with 3D-printed junction: $200; internal Di2 routing: $200; rack and mudguard eyelets at no extra cost |
Based in Melrose, Massachusetts, Firefly still believes in the simplicity of rim brakes, reports The Radavist. With the All Road Rim Brake, the workshop pairs them with 700 x 40 mm tyre clearance, relying on a fork and callipers developed for the occasion.
Firefly All Road Rim Brake: a rethought fork and callipers
The centrepiece is a new titanium fork, called All Road, designed for medium-reach callipers and 40 mm tyres. According to Firefly’s page, it offers a smoother ride than a carbon fork; its offset is chosen to measure to balance the steering, its finish matches the frame’s, and it can take rack or cargo eyelets. Its crown is 3D-printed.
For braking, the workshop turned to Cane Creek: the two brands modified the eeBrake callipers designed for the Brompton so that they work with traditional cable pull. Firefly thus gets a high-end calliper compatible with all-road tyres. The bike can be built with SRAM AXS and Growtac’s Control brake levers, Shimano Di2 or mechanical Campagnolo.
3D-printed titanium parts
Firefly also redesigned the dropouts: lacking good quick-releases, and because these pair poorly with its titanium fork, the workshop created 3D-printed thru-axle dropouts, lighter and stiffer than older plate dropouts, according to the brand. At the rear, the seat stays join in a 3D-printed “wishbone” that echoes the shape of the fork crown and the calliper. “We’re going to be honest, this one is just because it looks cool,” writes Firefly; traditional seat stays remain available on request.
The workshop points out that its 3D-printed chainstay and seat tube junctions were born of demand for wider tyres, bigger chainrings and faster geometries. According to Velo, the bike is the result of a collaboration between Firefly Bicycles and Josh Ogle Design, and it does not replace the workshop’s existing range. The Radavist says it is on display at the Crafted Bike Show.
Price
On its website, Firefly lists $7,200 for the custom frame with its matching titanium fork, and from $10,000 to over $14,000 for a complete bike. The oversized chainstays with 3D-printed junction and internal Di2 routing each cost $200 extra; rack and mudguard eyelets are included at no extra cost.
